Cardiff City v Newcastle United
Cardiff City Stadium
Saturday 18th August 2018, ko 12:30pm.
Early team news:
New signing Harry Arter is expected to make his Cardiff bow after being ineligible for last weekend's opener against his parent club, Bournemouth.
Kenneth Zohore (groin) faces a late fitness test after missing the 2-0 defeat but Aron Gunnarsson (knee) is a definite absentee.
Newcastle could hand full debuts to a host of their summer signings in south Wales.
Forwards Salomon Rondon and Yoshinori Muto came off the bench in defeat to Tottenham, while fellow new recruits Fabian Schar, Ki Sung-yueng and Federico Fernandez are all yet to feature.
DeAndre Yedlin will miss out after suffering a minor knee injury against former club Spurs, with Florian Lejeune's knee surgery keeping him sidelined for much longer.
The Managers:
Neil Warnock:
"It’s an exciting time for everyone at the club, it’s going to be a cracking crowd, nearly a full house and it’s what we’ve been striving for. When I came to the club, they’d thought I was in cloud cuckoo land if I’d said we’d be playing in front of a full house in the Premier League. But it's a great feeling.
"Newcastle are a good club to be playing, they’ve got some good players and always have a great following. I remember when they played us at the end of the season they got promotion and they had fabulous support. Rafa’s done a good job and it promises to be a good atmosphere all round."
Rafa Benitez:
"Cardiff are very strong physically, it will be a tough atmosphere, & we have to be both physical & try to play good football to beat them"
Match Stats:
- Cardiff City have lost each of their last 10 league meetings with Newcastle, their longest ever losing run against a single opponent in league history.
- Newcastle's current run of 10 successive league wins against Cardiff is their longest winning run against a single opponent in league history.
- Cardiff's last league victory against Newcastle was back in February 1981 in the old second division, winning 1-0 thanks to a Peter Kitchen strike. However, they have beaten Newcastle as recently as 2014, winning 2-1 at St James' Park in an FA Cup match.
- Cardiff have won eight of their 10 home league games so far in 2018 (D1 L1), though these were all in the Championship last season.
- Newcastle have lost their last three away league games - they've never lost four in a row on the road under current manager Rafael Benitez.
- In all competitions, Cardiff manager Neil Warnock is winless in his last nine matches against Newcastle (W0 D2 L7), since a 1-0 win as Sheffield United boss in November 2006.
- Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez has never lost against Neil Warnock in five previous meetings in all competitions, winning each of the last four in a row since 1-1 draw between Sheffield United and Liverpool on the opening day of the 2006-07 Premier League season.
The Officials:
Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistants: Eddie Smart, Andy Garratt
Fourth official: Lee Probert